Process and apparatus for coating ferric articles with a. metallic protective



`lune 7; 1932. 3, W|LDER 1,862,249

1 ,PRocEss AND APPARATUS FOR coATING FERRIc ARTICLES WITH A METALLIC PROTECTIVE Fi/led June 28, 1930 Patented June?, 1932 Y UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIc JOHN WILDER, OF NILES, OI-HIO, ASSIGNOR TO WILDER METAL COMPANY, F NIIII'ES,V

' OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE rRoCEss AND APPARATUS ECR CoATING EERRIC ARTICLES WITH A METALLIC PROTECTIVE Application filed June 28,

This invention relates generally to the process of coat-ing or plating steel or iron sheets with a covering iilm or surface of an alloy of other metals, and to mechanism for prac- 5' tising such process.

In particular, this invention relates to the process wherein the coating or plating compound is an alloy, such as is set forth in the United States Patent of John Wilder, No. 942,803, dated December 7 1909.

The principal objects of the invention are: First, the provision of means whereby the steel or iron plate may be subjected to the action of a water bathV immediately after its immersion in the m-olten coatingcompound, whereby a high luster to the finished product will be insured and a dull or murky appearance prevented.

Second, the provision of means whereby the time elapsing between the emerging of the plate under treatment from its coating bath and its immersion in the'immediately following water'bath may be very closely and accurately regulated in order that best results may be obtained. It has been determined that these results are best obtained when the plate is subjected to the action of the water bath just before crystallization of the. coating compound upon its surface sets in. IAs the time required for this crystallizing to start 1s verv short and its duration is dependent upon numerousfactors. such.' for example. as the nature of the coating compound, its temperature. the length of time the plate uu der treatment is subjected to its action, the character, size and thickness of the plate..atmospheric conditions. etc.. it will be readily understood that control of the time element must be very o precise.' Such control is provided.

Third, the provision lof means for the specified time control' in such wise that its accurate regulation may be eifected easily, quickly and without interference with, or stopping of, the steady progress of the plates under treatment through the provided mechanism.A

Fourth, other objects and advantages, such as will appear from the following detailed description of the invention and the manner detail.

1930. Serial No. A464,681.

of its operation, will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawing, Figure 1JL is a central Vertical sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic in nature, of theplate receiving end, of a machine constructed in accordance with and for practisin the invention;

igure 1. is a similar view of the sectional portion of the machine and continuing the showing from Figure 1a; and,

Figure 1 is a. similar View of the plate delivery end of the machine and continuing the showing from Figure 1b.

Brieiy stated, the machine illustrated comprises, in order, a flux or acid bath, a drier, a coating bath, a water bath, and another drier, .together with means for feeding the plates under treatment successively therethrough and means for regulating the position of the water bath Vwith respect to the position of the coating bath.

The machine will now be described in Each steel or iron plate to be treated is, after the customary preparatory pickling with diluted sulphuric acid, fed over an apron lfbetween rubber rollers 2, into a iux or acid bath contained in a tank 3. From this tank the plate passes along the apron 1 .between rubber rollers 4 and onto an endless conveyor 5, which carries it through a drier 6 wherein a temperature preferably between 150 and 300 F. is maintained.

The endless conveyor delivers the dried plateonto a table 7, from which it is removed and passed between guide plates 8, through the coating bath in a tank 9. As the plate leaves the guides8, it passes` between rollers l0, under la guide plate 11 and onto an endless conveyor 12. A

At this point in the description, it is to be particularly noted that it is preferred lto subject the plate, while in tank 9, to the: action of a. molten coating compound 22, sucl as set forth in U. S. Patent 942,803, hereinbefore mentioned. Upon `the surface of the molten mass in this tank is a fluid iux 23, preferably of sal ammoniac and charcoal, and the level maintained rWithin the tank is 10 `such that the iux` 23 is about on a line with the centers of the rollers 10. These rollers will thus, at all times, remain clean and none of the plating alloy will adhere to them. The temperature to be maintained in `the vcoating bath in tank 9 is approximately between 850 and 120()o F., according to the nature of the compound and the degree of coating desired.

As the coated plate is delivered to the endless conveyor 12, it is carried thereby (see Figure 1") to a water bath contained in a tank 13, passing under a roller 14 mounted on the tank and so positioned with respect to the level oi water therein as to insure submer-y gence of the plate. The Ytemperature of the water in this tank is of great importance in the production of proper results. It must be at least 150 F., and may be much higher, depending upon the thickness of the plate and the amount of coating deposited thereon.

As previously pointed out, it is of the utmost importance, in order to obtain the desired results, that the time when the platev reaches the water after leaving the coating bath be Vunder precise control. To provide for this control, the tank 13is mounted upon wheels l5 adapted to run upon rails 16. It will readily be understood how this permits adjustment of the tank 13v with respect to the iixed position of the tank 9, the tank 13 being easily and quickly moved closer to' or further from the tank 9 without' any interference with'the operation in general.

' As the water washed plate, still carried bythe endless conveyor 12, ,passes from the tank 13,`it is passed between rubber rollers 17 onto another endless conveyor 18, which carries it through a drier 19 (see Figures 1b and 1), wherein the temperature is such as to properly dryiit of surface moisture, and delivers it at a leveling roll device20, from which it passes, nally, to a table or truck 21.

It is, of course, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown and describedfy as it is obvious to any one skilled in' the art that alternative forms of structure may readily be employed, as well as numerous changes in form, arrangement, and proportion `of parts, all without any variation from the natureof the invention, or departure from the spirit thereof, as, for example, in extremely cold weather and under such conditions when it is found that the necessary high temperatures of the sheets before entering the water bath or tank 13 has not been maintained at such a proper-s temperaturepso that when the sheetsenter l,said water bath 13 the metal will not have set to such an e'itent that the' water-cooling ,will not have the proper efect'theie is pro- -vided an auxiliary heater 6" interposed between the tank 9"an`d tank 13, and, preferably, similar in construction to heater or drier 6, and whil'efsuch provisionis-illusti'ated and directly thereafter to a coo mg medium for the purpose of setting said compound on the plates, the step of providing a variable control of the time interval elapsing between the subjection of the plates to the coating compound and the subjection to the cooling medium.

2. The combination, in coating mechanism for metallic plates, oi a container in which j such plates are subjected to the action of a molten coating compound, a container in which they are cooled and Washed, means for conveying them from said first container to said .second ccntainer, and adjustable ymeans for varying the distance between said containers for changing the time elapsed for the passing of the plates from the first to the second container.

3. The combination, in coating mechanism for metallic plates, of alcontainer in which such plates are subjected to the action of a molten coating compound, a container in which they are cooled andjwashed, one of 4said containers being iixedly mounted, and

the other being adjustably mounted in respect thereto, and means for conveying plates from said irst container to said second container. l

4. `The combination, in coating `'mechanism :for metallic plates, of a container in which such plates are subjected to the action of a molten coating. compound, a container in which they are cooled andwashed, one of said containers being xedl mounted, Vand the other bein provided wit and supported on wheels, an adjustable in respect tosaid ixed container, and means for conveying the plates from said rst container to said secondv container.

5; The combination, in coating mechanism for metallic plates, of a containen wherein l such plates are subjected to the action of av molten coating compound, a container whereconveying means and without interruption of the operation-poi the mechanism or disturbing said conveying means.

l6. The combination, in for metallic plates, of a contalner wherein such plates are subjected to the action cfa coating mechanism molten. coating compound, a second con- 4tainer wherein they are cooled and washed,

a wheeled mounting therefor, 'tracks upon whichsuch wheeled mounting may be moved discharge end of said first container, and

means passing through said second container V:tor conveyin the plates from said first container to sai second container.

7. rhe combination, in coating mechanism for metallic plates, of a rst container in which such plates are subjected to the action of a molten coating compound, a second con.- tainer in which they are cooled and washed, means for conveying them from said .first container to said'second container, and adjustable means for varying the distance between the discharge end of said first container and charging end of second container, and a reheater interposed between the molten coating compound container and subsequent cooling and washingcontainer.

8. The combination, in coating mechanism for metallic plates, of a first container wherein such plates are subjected tothe action of a molten coating compound, a second container wherein they are cooled and washed, a wheeled mounting for saidsecond container,

tracks upon which such wheeled mounting' may be moved toadjust the lposition of the inlet endl of said second container in respect..y

to the discharge end of said first container,

and means for conveyin the plates from said irst container to sai second container, and a reheater interposed between the molten coating compound container and subsequent cooling and washing container. f

In testimony whereof Ihereunto aiix my signature.

VJOHN WILDER. 

